Imperial Guard of Diguofeng
The Imperial Guard of Diguofeng consists of the most elite warriors in the army, personally serving the Emperor in the Imperial Palace. They are thought of as the equivalent of knights, for gaining the title of "Imperial Guard to the Emperor" brings immense honor to the family of the recepient, much like a national acknowledgement of their abilities. Currently the Imperial Guard are pledged to faithfully serve Sian Wu, the current Empress of Diguofeng. Organization The Imperial Guard is a highly organized force, centered around martial prowess, military discipline, and a fair amount of Moshu. The leadership of the group consists of the Four Legendary Beasts or Four Divine Beasts, four of the greatest and most devoted servants of the Emperor of Diguofeng. Serving them are the Twenty-Eight Stars, twenty eight of the most skilled Imperial Assassins. Beneath the Four Divine Beasts are the Twelve Beasts, twelve diverse members of the Imperial Guard, each of whose name corresponds to an animal from the Diguofeng Zodiac. Each of these is served by a Yin and Yang, two servants who compliment their skills. The Yin is a woman and the Yang is a man. Further down the line are the Five Rings, five groups of twenty of the finest soldiers recruited from the Imperial Infantry, whose task it is to guard the Imperial City. The Four Divine Beasts The Four Divine Beasts represent the pinnacle of the Imperial Guard of Diguofeng. Each is considered to be worth more than a hundred regular soldiers, and they each fill a different, diverse role within the Imperial Guard. Genbu Genbu, the Black Tortoise, is the supreme general of the Imperial Guard of Diguofeng. By virtue of his impressive tactical skills he is able to command the soldiers of the Five Rings, along with many of the other military and law enforcement groups operating in and around the Imperial City. Byakko Byakko, the White Tiger, is, among other tasks, the Emperor's champion, who stands firm as the foe for any who wish to directly challenge the Emperor, unless the ruler should deem to personally answer the challenge. He is by his nature a very skilled martial artist. Seiryu Seiryu, the Blue Dragon, is the chief of the Moshu users and other mystics related to the Imperial Guard. He is responsible for overseeing many of the non-corporeal defenses around the Imperial City, as well as commanding the magical defenses and responding to magical threats. Suzaku Suzaku, the Red Phoenix, is the fourth member of the Imperial Guard, and something of an enigma. Only one man has ever held the title of Suzaku, and he has not held a single specific role within the Imperial Guard. Never the less, he has proven himself an able and worthy member of the group time and again. The Twenty-Eight Stars Divided into four groups of seven, the Twenty-Eight Stars are the personal servants of the Four Divine Beasts, chosen almost exclusively from the Imperial Assassins. The Twelve Beasts The Twelve Beasts are twelve unique and diverse members of the Imperial Guard, each with a different role important to the defense of the Imperial City. Their titles correspond to the twelve animals of the Diguofeng Zodiac, and give some hint to their purpose. Dog - A symbol for loyalty to all members of the Imperial Guard, a special bodyguard of the Emperor, and a member who is tasked with sniffing out treason and dissension within the ranks. Ironically, the most recent Dog, Renmaru Shiozaki, was executed for attempting to foment a coup against the new Empress, Sian Wu. Snake - Martial artist who practices snake-style kung-fu. Rat - A stealthy sneak. Monkey - Martial artist skilled in monkey-style kung fu. Ram - A Moshu user. Tiger - A martial artist. The current Tiger is the blood-brother of Byakko, the White Tiger of the Four Legendary Beasts. Dragon - A Moshu user. Ox - A martial artist. Hare - A messenger, also skilled in Gowanese Tae Kwan Do. Pig - A priest who practices impressive divine magic. Horse - A mounted warrior Rooster - A messenger/master of sentries The Five Rings The Five Rings are the basic infantry of the Imperial Guard, however they are highly skilled, experienced soldiers, the vast majority of whom are veterans of the Imperial Infantry. The supreme commander of the Five Rings is Genbu, the Black Tortoise of the Four Legendary Beasts, though he also has some captains in place for direct command of units in the field. Moshu Brigade The Moshu Brigade are the primary magical and mystical defense of the Imperial Guard. While not the only Moshu users in the Imperial City, the Moshu Brigade are the ones specifically tasked with seeing to the magic defenses of the city, maintaining the various wards, responding to mystical threats, and creating and controlling the mighty Stone Dog constructs that assist in the city's defense. The supreme commander of the Moshu Brigade is the Four Divine Beasts' Seiryu, the Blue Dragon, who's mastery of Moshu magic is so great he has obtained a Reality Marble, the Purple Forbidden Enclosure. Category:Diguofeng Category:Military Organizations